Rural Direct is turning pipe dreams into reality

Innovation is the key to success, says Rural Direct Manufacturing, which has been nominated in the Excellence in Exporting category at tonight's Westpac Manukau Business Awards.

The Manukau-based company employs 12 people and manufactures pressure pipes for the agricultural and rural sector, and uses recycled plastic to make farm culverts, garden hoses and layer boards.

The company sells direct to farmers and contractors and currently exports about 15 per cent of its production. Managing director Neil van Duyn said innovation and direct contact with customers were the keys to the company's success.

"New Zealand is a small player by world standards so we have to innovate to keep ahead," van Duyn said.

"We've created our own products to add value to customers and the business." An example was Rural Direct's durable layer boards made for the bottle packaging industry as a replacement for MDF and imported plastic products.

The company sells direct from its flagship store in Manukau and from outlets in Whangarei, Hinuera and Te Puke, and via the internet and direct mail. It plans to open three stores in the North Island within a tear.

Rural Direct has recently acquired new technology to broaden its farm culvert range and increase production runs, upgraded its water cooling and filtration systems and reduced costs.

That had allowed the firm to make ground in an otherwise static market.

"We aim to keep innovating with our products and our systems," van Duyn said.

"The recycled plastics market can be very volatile. We've tackled this by signing long-term contracts with our suppliers."